On Tuesday, March 19, 2024, the UGM Japanese Language and Culture Study Program held a socialization of working in Japan together with Marimo Group. The activity which was carried out on the basis of this collaboration was attended by representatives of Marimo Group, Manager of International Human Resource Development Marimo Holdings Inc. Kanakuchi Yuya and Tatang Hariri, Ph. D. as Head of the Japanese Language and Culture Study Program along with final year students and alumni of BKJ Study Program.

The activity began with the introduction of Marimo Group to the socialization participants. Marimo Group is a company engaged in the property sector with headquarters in Hiroshima City, Japan which now has more than 21,000 mansion units throughout Japan. Currently, Marimo is opening opportunities for final year students or alumni of BKJ Study Program who are interested in working in Japan. Marimo can assist applicants in finding suitable jobs according to their interests and talents. Jobs that are generally in demand are in the field of translation and hospitality, but it does not rule out the possibility if you want to apply in a field that is not offered.

Being with Marimo as a partner in working abroad can certainly make a sense of security and comfort when working. Feelings of homesickness while working can also be relieved because, with connections from Marimo we can still meet with Indonesians. This good opportunity is expected to be utilized by academics and alumni to gain experience in the world of work.

SDGs 4: Quality Education | SDGs 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The Japanese Language and Culture Study Program welcomed Yuki Murakami, a Master’s student in the Development Economics Study Program from Kobe University, Japan, as an intern. The internship lasted for sixteen days from February 13th to 29th, with Masato Nakahara, Ph.D., as the supervisor lecturer.

During his internship at Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yuki Murakami participated in various academic activities, including assisting in teaching classes, correcting exercises, and attending academic program activities. As a teaching assistant in the Japanese conversation class (Kaiwa), Murakami explained and practiced how Japanese people speak well and naturally, from basic knowledge to Japanese speaking habits. Furthermore, in the Japanese Thought History class, he assisted the lecturer in explaining how Japan found solutions to catch up with other countries after the implementation of sakoku (鎖国), which was Japan’s policy of isolation from the outside world.

Throughout his two-week stay in Indonesia, the intern student who was also known as Murakami-san shared his interesting experiences. At first, he was worried that the classes he taught would be considered unattractive by students. However, he was surprised that the students were active in class and easily became friendly with him. For him, feeling warmly accepted in a new place is an unforgettable feeling. Likewise, for the students, Murakami’s contribution as an intern student in the Japanese Language and Culture Study Program for two weeks has been inspiring and has provided new insights which become an unforgettable experience for Japanese Language and Culture students.

SGDs 4: Quality Education | SDGs 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities | SGDs 17: Partnerships For The Goals

On Monday, February 26, 2024, 16.00-17.30 WIB, the UGM Japanese Language and Culture Study Program (BKJ) held an offline light discussion on the topic ‘Current State of Japan’ with Aoyama Tooru, Ph. D. who is an Emeritus Professor from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. The discussion was attended by lecturers and students of BKJ UGM from all active batches.

The discussion agenda was opened with an explanation of the current condition of Japan by Aoyama-sensei. Coinciding with the new year 2024, January 1, 2024, in Japan, precisely Noto in Ishikawa Prefecture faced an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter Scale at 14.10 local time. The earthquake not only damaged many public facilities and homes but also affected the access roads to the affected areas. The severe damage hampered access to disaster relief by the Japanese government. The affected area is a rural area filled with elderly people, so most victims have difficulty moving quickly in a precarious situation. Alas, the earthquake and its damage have the potential to make the area disappear from the map of Japan. This is because young people in Japan are choosing to live in cities with better facilities. Based on Aoyama-sensei’s explanation, the session continued with a dynamic and interactive question-and-answer session. Afterward, the discussion session was characterized by various questions about current social issues or problems in Japanese society. One of them was the link between the shoushikoureika (少子高齢化) problem, known as the problem of low birth rate and high elderly population, and the future of Japan.

The discussion with Aoyama-Sensei gave Japanese Language and Culture students valuable experience that can improve their critical thinking skills. By studying social cases in Japan, students not only broaden their horizons but also hone their creativity in formulating solutions to existing or even similar problems in Indonesia. This activity is a window of inspiration for students to learn and enrich their perspective on the current condition of Japan.

SGDs 4: Quality Education | SGDs 17: Partnerships For The Goals

On Thursday, February 22, 2024, at 10:00-15:00 WIB, the Japanese Language and Culture Study Program (BKJ) UGM held an Educational Collaboration activity with Ferris Women University (FWU) from Yokohama, Japan. The activity which became a means of cultural exchange was attended by Sato Akira, Ph.D. as an accompanying lecturer along with 3 Ferris Women University students, as well as lecturers and students of the Japanese Language and Culture Study Program. After the reception by the Head of the Department of Japanese Language and Culture UGM, Tatang Hariri, M.A., Ph.D., lecturers and students of FWU entered the lecture class to conduct discussions and exchange information with UGM students.

The collaboration was divided into two sessions. The first session was with first-year students and the second session was with third-year students. In both sessions, FWU students and BKJ UGM students were divided into three groups to discuss several themes using Japanese. For the first session, the topic of discussion was the differences in student life in Indonesia and Japan, while the second session with third-year students, they discussed the culture and work system in Indonesia and Japan. After the discussion, each group presented the results or important points of their respective discussions using Japanese.

For the academic community, knowledge of cultural differences in various aspects of life is considered important. This is because in addition to being a means to enrich knowledge, knowing cultural differences also increases students’ ability to adapt to other cultures. This educational collaboration activity is expected to train critical thinking skills and encourage students to innovate from the perspectives gained in group discussions. As stated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this collaboration can be a means to build quality education and as a foundation for creating global partnerships.

Japanese Language and Culture Study in discussion with Ferris Women University students

SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals | SDGs 17: Global partnership | SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institution | SDGs 16: Conflict resolution | SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities | SDGs 11: Community

On Tuesday, February 13th 2024 at 1 until 3 pm, the UGM Japanese Language and Culture Study Program held a public lecture on the topic “Will Japan become a ‘normal country’?: Changes in the Defense Debate Before and After the Outbreak of The Ukraine War ” which was delivered by researchers and teaching staff at the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies from Kobe University, (Ass. Prof.) Masato Nakahara. This Public Lecture was the opening for the 2023/2024 even semester lecture activities which were attended by lecturers and students of the Japanese Language and Culture Study Program, as well as students from outside the study program who were interested in Japanese issues.

In the first part, Nakahara-sensei explained the history of the formation of the Jieitai (Japanese Self-Defense Forces) after Japan’s defeat in World War II and changed in the position of the Jieitai during the Allied occupation as regulated in the Showa Constitution which was in effect to this day. The restrictions on Jieitai activities regulated in the Showa Constitution meant that Japan’s military activities were very limited, including when there was a war outside Japan, such as Russia’s war with Ukraine, which is still ongoing today. Japan’s position in relation to security and world peace is a dilemma because sending war troops abroad violates the mandate of the Shouwa Constitution, while on the other hand the international world wants Japan to play an active role in sending war troops. Especially in the current era where changes in the global political constellation after the Cold War are increasingly dynamic and real, Japan, which is required to always prioritize peace as mandated by the Shouwa Constitution (Heiwa Kenpou), needs to look for new interpretations so that it can become a ‘normal’ country, namely a country that on the one hand can maintain sovereignty, and on the other hand can play a role in world peace. After the presentation session by Nakahara-sensei, the public lecture continued with a discussion and question and answer session which was very dynamic and filled with various questions from the public lecture participants regarding Japan’s attitude and position in relation to international conflicts, geopolitical changes in East Asia and Indonesia.

Understanding the position of Japan in the context of global change is considered important for the study program’s academic community because apart from being a means of updating information related to current issues regarding the country of Japan, it is also a means of learning and inspiration for research themes concerning Japanese issues. More than that, through forums like this, cooperation between study programs and foreign institutions can be further enhanced and can become a means for study programs to facilitate their academic community to be able to move more globally, in accordance with one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), namely developing global partnerships for development.